For help writing a disaster plan:
Conservation Online (CoOL) includes plans, case histories, and other documents, as well as links to numerous resources in its Disaster Preparedness and Response section.
Getty Conservation Institute (Los Angeles, CA, 310-440-7325) has Building an Emergency Plan: A Guide for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions available for download.
Library of Congress Preservation Directorate (Washington, DC, 202-707-5213) includes A Primer on Disaster Preparedness, Management and Response: Paper. Emergency Preparedness for Library of Congress Collections.
Library Preservation at Harvard (Cambridge, MA, 617-495-8596) provides useful information about emergency response and salvage of library materials. Includes planning templates and salvage information for many types of collections.
National Archives and Records Administration (College Park, MD, 301-837-0482) has Vital Records and Records Disaster Mitigation and Recovery online. This guide focuses on identifying and protecting records vital to conducting business under emergency conditions or protecting the legal and financial rights of the Federal government.
National Park Service Park Museum Management Program (Washington, DC) has links to disaster-related resources available for free download, including a sample Disaster Plan, the Conserve O Gram series of preservation-related technical publications, and the National Park Service Museum Handbook.
Northeast Document Conservation Center (Andover, MA, 978-470-1010) includes Emergency Management Technical Leaflets and links to other resources.
To locate a conservator:
Many times, collections care and maintenance requires the help and direction of a professional conservator. A conservator can diagnose problems, provide treatment when necessary, prescribe a maintenance plan, and advise on proper conditions for display and storage of objects and collections. You should select a conservator in the same way you would choose a doctor, lawyer, or any other professional:
- Make sure the conservator’s training and area of expertise are appropriate for your needs.
- Check references.
- Ask questions.
Many conservators work independently in private practice. Others are employed at regional conservation centers. The following links can help you find the right conservator for your collection.
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) (Washington, DC, 202-452-9545) provides Guidelines for Selecting a Conservator and referrals to conservators by specialty and geographic location through the Guide to Conservation.
Conservation Online (CoOL) Web site contains an alphabetical list of conservation professionals.
Amigos Library Services, Inc. (Dallas, TX, 972-851-8000) provides education and training, preservation management, site surveys, consultations.
Balboa Art Conservation Center (San Diego, CA, 619-236-9702) provides conservation and analytical services for paintings, paper, photographs, and frames.
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (Philadelphia, PA, 215-545-0613) provides services for books, paper, parchment, and photographs.
The Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center (Omaha, NE, 402-595-1180) provides services for objects, paper, textiles, photographs, books, frames, archaeology, and sculpture.
Intermuseum Conservation Association (Cleveland, OH, 216-658-8700) provides conservation and analytical services for paintings, paper, photographs, books, objects, textiles, frames, and fine art storage.
Midwest Art Conservation Center (formerly the Upper Midwest Conservation Association, Minneapolis, MN, 612-870-3120) provides conservation and analytical services for paintings, paper, objects, and textiles.
National Park Service, Division of Conservation, Harpers Ferry Center (Harpers Ferry, WV, 304-535-6139) provides conservation and analytical services for paper, textiles, objects/ethnographic, and wooden artifacts.
Northeast Document Conservation Center (Andover, MA, 978-470-1010) provides conservation and digitization services for books, paper, and photographs.
Peebles Island Resource Center, Bureau of Historic Sites (Waterford, NY, 518-237-8643, ext. 3225 or 3226) provides conservation services for frames, paintings, paper, objects, textiles, furniture, archaeology.
SOLINET, the Southeastern Library Network, Inc. (Atlanta, GA, 404-892-0943) provides education and training, preservation management, site surveys, consultations.
Straus Center for Conservation, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 617-495-2392) provides conservation and analytical services for paintings, paper, and objects.
The Textile Conservation Center, American Textile History Museum (Lowell, MA, 978-441-1198, x. 256) provides conservation and analytical services for textiles.
The Textile Conservation Workshop (South Salem, NY, 914-763-5805) provides conservation and analytical services for textiles.
Williamstown Art Conservation Center (Williamstown, MA, 413-458-5741) provides conservation and analytical services for paintings, paper, objects, furniture, and frames.
To locate staff training opportunities:
American Library Association, Association for Library Collections and Technical Services(ALCTS) (Chicago, IL, 800-545-2433 x. 5037) posts upcoming workshops and has the Preservation Education Directory (8th Edition).
The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies (Mount Carroll, IL, 815-244-1173) offers continuing education in historic preservation, museum studies, preventive collections care, and conservation. The Center offers the participant a scholarship-supported program of certification in preventive collections care for the beginning, mid-career, and senior-level heritage professional.
Conservation Online (CoOL) includes links to educational opportunities in museum, library, and archives conservation/preservation.
Heritage Preservation (Washington, DC, 202-233-0800) maintains a Preservation Calendar that includes educational workshops and association conferences.
The National Preservation Institute (Alexandria, VA, 703-765-0100) offers specialized information, continuing education, and professional training to those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of cultural heritage.
Society for American Archivists (Chicago, IL, 312-922-0140) maintains and education calendar and Directory of Archival Education.
For funding collections care activities
The Institute of Museum and Library Services ( 202-653-IMLS) is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. IMLS’s Conservation Project Support program awards matching grants to help museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of their collections.
National Endowment for the Arts ( 202-682-5452) supports museums and other exhibiting institutions and organizations that serve the field and the American public through grants for projects of the highest artistic quality, which include activities such as conservation and documentation.
National Endowment for the Humanities (202-606-8438) is dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. Its Division of Preservation and Access offers several grant programs for caring for humanities resources.
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration, supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, created in every medium ranging from quill pen to computer, relating to the history of the United States.
National Science Foundation (703-306-1218) promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The Division of Biological Infrastructure includes several grants that support scientific research collections.
The Foundation Center (New York, NY, 800-424-9836) is a national clearinghouse for information on foundations and corporate giving. It provides library services at its four reference centers in New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Cleveland. It offers a wide variety of publications and has a database available on CD-ROM.